Renowned music composer Shankar Mahadevan has opened up about a fascinating piece of trivia behind the making of the title track from the timeless classic ‘Dil Chahta Hai’. According to the composer, he, along with fellow music directors Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa, together with sound engineer Vijay Benegal (Benny), had created as many as 21 different versions of the title song before finalising one.
Shankar Mahadevan reveals the raw scratch version made it to the final film
Interestingly, it was the very first scratch recording of the track that ultimately made it into the film, as it turned out to be the unanimous favourite among the makers and the entire creative team.Speaking during a special conversation for Spotify alongside Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa, playback singer Shaan, and Meiyang Chang, Shankar shared this behind-the-scenes detail. He said, “Shall I reveal one more secret about this song? Benny did about 21 mixes of the song. And this, what you’re hearing, is the rough mix. There was something, something magical, about it. What you’re hearing is actually the first scratch that we did of the song. The bass lines and all. We had some new samples and great drums, we experimented, and it paid off. People get scared of being minimalistic.”He went on to reflect on why many composers tend to overproduce their tracks. He added, “Most people in the business want to fill it up. That shows a person’s insecurity. If you’re very confident about your melody, if you’re confident about your groove and your bass line and your, and that minimal thing, you don’t need stuff. If you have a good engineer who mixes it well, it fills up the space.”
‘Dil Chahta Hai’ remains a landmark film in modern Hindi cinema
‘Dil Chahta Hai’ marked Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut and went on to become a defining title in contemporary Bollywood, particularly celebrated for its fresh take on friendship, romance, and youthful independence. The film’s iconic Goa road trip became a cultural phenomenon in its own right, inspiring countless groups of friends to recreate the journey over the years.The film’s aesthetic, relaxed fashion sensibilities, and naturalistic dialogue also left a lasting influence on how urban India has since been portrayed on screen. Its soundtrack, blending elements of rock, pop, and Indian musical traditions, proved to be just as groundbreaking and continues to be celebrated even today.
